Chapter 2: From Doubt to Dedication

To celebrate receiving his second paycheck, Jungwoo met up with So-yeon for the first time in a while.

"Are you sure this is okay?"

"Why not? I love tteokbokki."

"But you just got paid. I'll treat you to something better."

"No, really! I think tteokbokki is the most delicious food in the world! Besides, just going on a date with you makes me happy."

The menu she chose was instant tteokbokki.

Even with rising prices, it was still a meal that could be had for around 20,000 won.

Jungwoo knew she was trying to be considerate.

Feeling grateful for her thoughtfulness, they finished their meal and headed to a nearby café.

"I'll pay this time!"

So-yeon said, ordering both coffee and dessert.

The sweet cake helped soothe the spiciness lingering on their taste buds.

While they were enjoying the moment, she spoke up.

"Sigh… I've been so stressed these past few days. But going on a date with you like this really lifts my spirits."

"Stressed? Did something happen at work?"

"It's the usual. Clients making complaints or nitpicking over the smallest things."

So-yeon worked as a web designer.

She created web pages based on client requests.

"Do they nitpick a lot?"

"All the time! Even if you make it exactly the way they wanted, they'll complain about the font or the images, saying it's not what they imagined… Ugh! I can't even count how many revisions I've had to make!"

"What do you do in those situations?"

"What can I do? They're the ones paying, so I have to meet their demands."

Her matter-of-fact response surprised Jung-woo a little.

He asked again.

"But you delivered what they initially wanted, right? Aren't you tempted to push back when they make unreasonable demands?"

"There was a time when I did that. But not anymore. It's faster to just make the changes rather than argue. Besides, they're the ones paying us. We have to accommodate their requests as much as possible."

Jung-woo realized just how mature So-yeon was.

And how naive his own attitude toward the world had been.

_________________________________

Jung-woo had changed.

"Coach, I'd like to learn how to throw a curveball."

"Oh, a curveball? Sure! The curveball I usually throw is a slow curve. Which type are you interested in learning?"

"I'd like to start with the basics."

"Alright, I'll watch your stance first. Hold the grip like this…"

At the academy, he didn't waste time getting into unnecessary power struggles with clients.

When clients had specific requests, he focused on teaching those aspects.

Soon enough, the clients' opinions of him changed.

"Coach Kim, about Coach Han…"

"Oh, yes. You mean Jung-woo?"

"Yes, he's really good. Could I book my next lesson with him?"

"Haha! Of course. Shall I reserve it for you?"

"Yes, please do."

"Alright then, I'll see you next time!"

Watching the client leave the academy, Coach Kim Jung-ho was puzzled.

"Jungwoo? Competent? Just a few days ago, he was driving clients away even when we gave him plenty of support."

Kim Joong-ho had felt sorry for his junior colleague who had been released from his team.

So, in the beginning, he had sent a lot of clients Jung-woo's way.

That was why Jung-woo, even as a rookie, had many clients to teach.

"I thought he wouldn't last long, so I was planning to give him some advice over drinks soon. But he's changing on his own…"

Kim Joong-ho was pleasantly surprised by his junior's unexpected growth.

Bzzzt!

Just then, his smartphone rang.

"Yes, hello? Oh, it's been a while, sir. Pitching lessons? Perfect timing. We recently hired a coach who played professionally until just a short while ago.

Would you like to try a lesson with him? Great, I'll book it for you."

Kim Joong-ho decided to keep an eye on the changing Jeong-woo and give him more support.

_____________________________________

Another month had passed.

Jungwoo was starting to see positive results from his changed mindset.

[Deposit: 4,262,000 won]

He had received a salary of over 4 million won.

Jungwoo's eyes widened as he checked his bank account.

"Senior, my paycheck is really high this month."

"Well, you've worked hard. Your reputation is improving. Clients are asking to take lessons with you every day."

"Really?"

"Yes. You seem to have a knack for teaching."

It was clearly a compliment, but Jungwoo had mixed feelings.

'I wanted to succeed as a pro. But instead, I have a talent for teaching?'

It was a common occurrence in the professional world.

Players who didn't achieve much as professionals often succeeded as coaches.

Genuinely talented players sometimes couldn't understand why others couldn't do what came naturally to them.

But coaches who hadn't achieved much themselves understood this and worked meticulously on how to help others succeed.

That's why, in the professional world, they said coaching and playing were two entirely different skill sets.

'Still, it's a relief to have talent in something.'

Just a few days ago, he had been wondering what he was going to do with his life.

Now, he had found a job that suited him, and it made him happy.

'From now on, I'll focus on educating my clients even more.'

Hard work pays off.

This realization motivated Jungwoo even more.

A monthly salary of 4 million won was much higher than what he had earned playing in the second league.

Back then, his annual salary was the minimum for a professional player: 30 million won. So, even when compared yearly, he was earning over 10 million won more.

Moreover, there was room for further growth in this job.

This fact energized Jungwoo even more.

"Hello, client!"

"Oh, Coach Han! Thanks to the curveball you taught me, I struck out five batters in the last game!"

"Haha! That's great news. Do you have anything else you're curious about?"

"Actually, I'd like to learn how to throw a high-speed slider. Is that possible?"

"Oh! A high-speed slider? Shall we base today's lesson on that?"

By fulfilling his clients' requests and meeting their needs, Jungwoo gained their trust.

After work, he studied the latest baseball trends.

'The frequency of sweepers in Major League Baseball has been increasing since the early 2020s.'

A sweeper is a type of slider.

The difference lies in its horizontal movement, achieved by using a two-seam grip instead of the traditional slider grip.

While not a new pitch, sweepers started trending in Major League Baseball in the early 2020s.

'Come to think of it, one of the clients mentioned sweepers today.'

Recalling the client's comment, Jungwoo began studying sweepers.

'Wow… But most of this is in English? There's not much material available in Korean.'

The problem was that there was more information available overseas than in Korea about sweepers.

There were Korean resources, but they only covered the basics.

He could get by with the knowledge he already had, but since he had started learning about it, he wanted to do it right.

'Senior is looking out for me, so I should work even harder.'

Moreover, American baseball resources were more systematic than Korean ones.

Realizing that he would face similar situations in the future, Jung-woo came to one conclusion.

"I need to learn English."

"English? All of a sudden?"

"Yeah, if I want to educate the clients, I need to study, and most of the material is in English. I think I need to learn English to understand it all."

Seeing Jung-woo's enthusiasm for his work, So-yeon smiled.

"Huh? Do I have something on my face?"

"No! I just like seeing you so dedicated."

"I've always worked hard, you know?"

"I know! That's why I like you so much."

Jung-woo cleared his throat at her sudden confession.

So-yeon, amused by his awkward reaction, smiled even more brightly and responded.

"Oh, shall I show you the site I used to study before? It's convenient because you can study at home by yourself."

"Really? Please show me."

"Here it is. You can log in with my account to study. There's still some time left on it."

"Thanks!"

"Good luck!"

Having a supportive girlfriend was always encouraging.

Fueled by her support, jung-woo began studying English every day after work.

At the same time, he read every piece of material he could find in Korea, leading a busy life.

He was also diligent in his coaching.

By communicating with his clients as much as possible, he identified their needs and taught them accordingly.

Living a dedicated life, Jung-woo's reputation at the academy continued to rise.

Naturally, his bank account balance grew, and the anxiety he had felt after retiring slowly faded away.

'So this is what it feels like to see money accumulate in your account.'

By the time his savings had grown from 10 million to 20 million won, jungwoo was able to start reading overseas materials more comprehensively.

Of course, he wasn't completely fluent.

"What does this mean?"

At such times, he used translation programs to help.

By searching for and studying various resources one by one, jung-woo discovered a new world of baseball.

"Wow… The pitching I knew wasn't really all that."

This revelation made him sad, but at the same time, it was exciting.

The training methods from a decade ago were already outdated.

The fundamentals remained unchanged, but the details had evolved dramatically.

'It's no wonder the academy instructors used to say that baseball changes every day. A decade ago, I would've just laughed it off, but now I get it.'

So he started teaching his clients the latest pitching techniques.

Most of his clients were curious about new trends in baseball.

Of course, some preferred the old, stable methods, but Jung-woo was determined to teach the latest techniques to the younger clients.

Even if his clients sometimes found it challenging, they quickly grew to trust him.

As his savings grew to 30 million won, Jung-woo was thrilled.

'At this rate, I'll have 40 million soon.'

When his savings reached 40 million won, he knew it would be time for him to make a new decision.

To choose a new path in life.

With the bank deposit deadline fast approaching, Jung-woo's heart raced with anticipation.

What kind of life would he live from now on?